In pursuit of agricultural revolution which is a key component of the ARISE Agenda, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has inaugurated the Akwa Ibom State Agriculture and Food Security Committee.
The inauguration ceremony took place on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Uyo.
During the event, Governor Eno reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to agricultural revolution, a key pillar of his economic blueprint, The ARISE Agenda and emphasized that ensuring food availability and sufficiency remains a top priority of his administration.
The Governor expressed confidence in the members of the newly-constituted committee and urged them to develop policies and strategies that will not only ensure food sufficiency but also position Akwa Ibom as a leading hub for agribusiness in Nigeria.
Highlighting the state’s potential in agriculture, Governor Eno acknowledged that more work was required, particularly in the oil palm sector and charged the committee with the responsibility of spearheading agricultural revolution in the state.
In the last twenty-one months, Governor Eno has made progress in the area of agriculture through various initiatives. The introduction of “Farm Free Days” on the first and third Fridays of each month, a policy which encourages government workers to return to farming and cultivate staple food crops.
This initiative is aimed at mitigating the high cost of staple food items and ensuring food security in the State.
To further his vision of agricultural revolution, the Governor has established the Ibom Model Farm in Ikot Edibon, Nsit Ubium Local Government Area spanning about 50 hectares.
The farm which is inspired by the Songhai Farm Technology in Benin Republic, is an integrated and organic agricultural hub incorporating crop production, animal husbandry, aquaculture and agro-processing.
Beyond its direct impact on agriculture, the Ibom Model Farm when completed, will provide direct employment for about 1,000 people while also attracting investors and tourists through its hotel, conference hall, zoo, and other recreational facilities.
Additionally, Governor Eno has made interventions to support farmers including the 12,000 bags of fertilizer and improved seedlings he distributed to farmers across the state during the flag-off of the 2024 second planting season in Uruan Local Government Area.
He also established the Bulk Purchase Agency to off-take farm produce from local farmers, to ensure stable food prices and support for vulnerable populations.
The administration has also trained young people in the Integrated Farm Model, distributed fingerlings and other inputs to fish farmers, provided farm inputs to public schools, and supplied tomato processing equipment to various groups.
The inauguration of this committee is a strategic move by the Governor to further transform the state’s economy through agriculture and to make food security a reality for Akwa Ibom people.
Let me end my piece with the words of Governor Umo Eno during the Committee’s Inauguration.
“I want to make the state, by the grace of God, a tourism state, whether in agriculture, health tourism, or sports tourism. We have the human resources in this State to do whatever we want to achieve.”
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